


Three Days

by Nitonami



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: BoO Spoilers, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Old crush talk, One-Sided Attraction, Will takes care of Nico and they both learn a bit about each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-20 16:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2434928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nitonami/pseuds/Nitonami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first day was pretty bad.<br/>The second day got even worse.<br/>The third day made up for it all, sort of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dawn of the First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go, my first (multichapter) Solangelo fic!  
> It's gonna be about 6 chapters, each day split up into two chapters and then his day of freedom.  
> These will probably be unbeta'd, with just me editing them. I hope you guys enjoy!

Bed rest for three days. He’d agreed to that more than easily, but now he was really regretting it. Will hadn't been joking about it. As soon as he’d gotten Nico into the infirmary, there was a rush of movement as people crowded the two of them, informing Will of what had happened during his absence. He’d taken it all in stride, giving advice, allowing discharges, and commanding a whole row of Ares kids to stay in their beds, they can’t mend bones overnight and if they tried leaving again he’d re-break them all again.

All in all, by the time Nico was ushered into a private room closed off with a curtain, he was thoroughly impressed with his new friend. Will had managed to stay with him, and when the son of Hades turned around, he was standing inside the room with him, the curtain pulled closed and their surroundings oddly silent. Nico frowned, glancing around and then to where he’d just entered.

“….Hey, wasn't it just really loud?” That must have been the question Will was looking for, because his vaguely serious expression broke off into a relaxed grin, and he shrugged.

“Simple sound-proofing enchantments. I can turn 'em on or off as you want. I figured you’d want your own personal area, and since we already have all the patients who’d need something like this, I figured we could spare it. Of course, if someone ends up falling on the lava wall in the next three days you’ll have to vacate.” Laughing to himself, Will went over to a clipboard that was attached to the foot of the bed. He motioned for Nico to get comfortable, picking up the clipboard and attached pencil. Once he was content with Nico kicking off his shoes and sitting on the edge of the bed, he coughed and assumed his best doctor pose.

“Hm. Mister di Angelo, from looking at your records, it seems you have a habit of not listening to other people and recklessly throwing yourself into shadows. So, in order to fix your…shadowification, you've been prescribed three day’s bed rest with light therapy. That’s, ah, what the thing above your bed’s for.” He set the clipboard down, walking around and firmly pushing Nico to where he was laying back on the bed. Standing back up, he reached for the weird contraption over Nico’s bed and flicked a switch, flooding the top half of Nico’s body with a bright block of sunlight.

“-! Holy crap, Solace are you trying to blind me?!” The light was bright, and the unsuspecting demigod hadn't so much have been warned before it had been flicked on. Will let out a noise of surprise, evidently forgetting about that part himself. He flicked it off and bent over Nico, pulling his hands from his eyes in minor panic.

“Oh gods, sorry! I forgot to warn you, you might need to wear protective eye-wear part of the time. Are you okay? Can you see me? How many fingers am I holding up?” Will was almost uncomfortably close for the son of Hades, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it at the time. His eyes were squeezed shut to try and block out the sudden influx of the brightest sunlight Nico’d ever seen. He forced them open, barely, spots swimming in his vision.

“…T..two?” Indeed, Will was holding out his thumb and pointer finger. Will, however, let out a mournful whine and stood back, the back of his wrist finding his forehead in some miming of an image of some southern belle.

“Oh me oh my! Darlin’ dear, the thumb isn't a finger! It’s…well, a thumb!” His usual barely-there southern accent was blown out of proportion. Luckily for Nico, he was too blind and irritated to laugh. 

“By the gods, Will Solace, I can barely even see! Now isn't the time.” Apparently, his tone was just pissed-off enough to tell Will that he seriously wasn't joking. The son of Apollo sobered quickly, nodding and looking kind of guilty.

“Heh, oh, right. Sorry. Come on, open your eyes for a moment.” Even though Will knew Nico's vision would fix itself, it was hard to tell how long it could take. The sunlamp they had installed over the bed had been a gift from Apollo after the titan war, so there was no doubt to its power. The demigod did as he was told, sucking in a breath. Will’s hands were immediately over his eyes and braces against one of his shoulders, eyes closing briefly as he mumbled something under his breath. The breath of air Nico had sucked in was slowly released, and Will gave him an almost-cocky smile, hands resting on his hips as he looked more tired than just before.

“Better?” He questioned, pushing the lamp to the side so it wouldn't accidentally turn back on. Nico nodded, blinking a few times and sitting up. “Slightly. Thanks.”

“Hey, no problem! Besides, I’m your personal doctor. Ring the bell by your bed if you need anything and I’ll be there real quick! Don’t get out of bed without permission; I’ll be by to give you your meals thrice daily. Don’t complain, moan, groan, or grumble in excess. If anyone bothers you, tell me and I’ll have them out faster than you can send a monster on a one-way ticket to T-“ Glancing up from the bedside table, Will looked almost guilty. Nico suspected that word had gotten around to the higher members in the camp about his experiences away, but he was surprised that someone would have told.

“…Don’t worry. It’s, uh…Just don’t worry. It’s whatever.” Slouching back, it was clear that it wasn't ‘whatever’, but Will didn’t push it. Not yet, at least. Nodding and forcing a kind smile, the healer backed towards the entrance curtain of the room.

“Okay, got it. Now…the way I understand, you not only got back from helping out with one of the most insanely needed quests in demigod history, but you also just went through the war with Gaea. So, I’ll have to do a check-up on you. It’s standard procedure kind of stuff, sorry honey. Now, please take off that ridiculously horrid piece of cloth that someone somewhere has called a shirt while I go get my medical instruments of awesomeness.” Once again, Will didn’t give him a chance to argue. In a flash, the son of Apollo was gone and the son of Hades was left sitting in his hospital bed, regretting agreeing to this.

With a loud sigh that only he could hear, Nico reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. This was going to be a long first day.


	2. End of the First Day

When Will returned a few minutes later, he looked surprised that Nico had actually done what he told him to do. Nico wasn’t too happy about it, though, and instead of commenting on his expression he got to work.

“Right! So, first off, I need to check on your…Nico di Angelo, what in the Gods’ names are _those_?” Nico winced, hearing the shock in Will’s voice. He was talking about the still-ugly and unhealed scratches on his arms. He shrugged a bit, sighing and holding out his arms straight so the other could see them better.

“…While Reyna, Coach, and I were on the way back with the statue. We ran into some, ah…trouble. It was, um…A werewolf. But they’re just scratches, I didn’t think they would be that bad.” Nico finished with another shrug, unwilling to really meet Will’s gaze. He heard the heavy sigh, and the sound of a chair being pulled up next to his bed. Then, without warning, he felt hands gently wrapping around his upper arm and pulling it closer.

Nico wasn’t used to being touched. He _definitely_ wasn’t used to being touched gently or carefully. Will’s grip wasn’t tight at all, and he was careful about not touching over the scars too much. When the son of Hades looked over to the blond, he found him squinting at the injuries. Nico realized that the son of Apollo really was there to take care of him-and he didn’t seem off-put by the boy’s appearance.

If he noticed the other, smaller scars dotted on Nico’s chest and body, he didn’t say it. He didn’t comment on the paleness of his skin either, almost translucent in a way that made Nico feel as if he could be seen through- something that made him shudder. No, Will Solace didn’t comment on any of these things. Instead, he made a noise in the back of his throat and looked up at Nico, frowning.

“Who did these? Who stitched these up?” He sounded dead serious, and Nico was surprised at the intensity of his look.

“…Uh, Reyna. We didn’t have enough time to do much of anything…well, good, while we were on the way here. Is it okay?” Will was quiet for a few minutes, still looking the stitching over.

“Well…it isn’t too bad. If I remove them and re-stitch them, it’ll probably take longer to heal. These’ll leave scars…which I could probably heal. Would you mind that?” His gaze flickered up to Nico, raising an eyebrow as he waited for his response. Nico shook his head, letting out a relieved sigh. He didn’t mind some scars, but these…Looking them over made him think of the trip, which wasn’t all bad, but also brought memories of what he did to Bryce.

That was something he didn’t want to think about.

His silence spurred Will to continue talking. His mouth lifted into a lazy smile as he went over the rest of Nico’s minor wounds, not lingering in one area longer than would be deemed comfortable. He seemed to be able to almost sense that- Nico’s level of comfort with his actions. Soon, after the son of Hades had gotten his fair share of band-aids and bandages wrapped around his cuts and scrapes, Will sat up properly.

“…and so that’s when I told her that frankly, I didn’t really fancy a date with her team. You should’ve seen her face, she was _so_ ticked!” He laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling as Nico watched. The younger was silent for a few moments, realizing he’d blocked out most of the previous conversation.

“…Uh, huh? I missed that…” He felt pretty guilty for not paying attention when Will’s face dropped. He older coughed a bit, shrugging and laughing it off.

“I was just, uh, talking about this Demeter girl who tried asking me on a date. Don’t worry, it’s nothing. So, now, you feeling any better?” He raised an eyebrow, sitting up and wiping his hands on his shorts. Nico nodded, feeling like it wasn’t ‘nothing’, and that what he’d said was kind of important.

“Yeah, tons better actually. Thanks for that. And, uh..making me stay, too, I guess. This is probably better for me than I want to admit.” Nico mumbled that last part, but Will was still close enough to catch it. The older demigod smiled, giving Nico a cheerful wink as he nodded.

“Yeah, I usually get that. A lot of kids here don’t appreciate the idea of ‘resting’ and ‘relaxing’ and ‘not getting out of that bed until I say so.’ It can be really irritating.” Overdramatizing his words, Will flopped back in the chair with a dramatic sigh. Nico fought back the smile that was threatening his face, instead going for a much less amused noise. Will peeked over at him, frowning a bit and sighing before sitting up.

“Well, that’s getting us nowhere real quick. Alright, di Angelo. First, put your horrible shirt back on. Next, five questions, you and me each, you get to start. I only say five because…well, frankly, I should be getting back out there to help out some more, but I just feel downright exhausted.” Nico watched as he crossed his legs, propping his head up with a hand under his chin and an easy grin. “You first, or me?”

“…I’ll go, I guess.” Looking a bit self-conscious, he carefully slid the button-up back on, fumbling with the buttons. Not really wanting to push any boundaries, Nico searched for a topic that wouldn’t be too odd for him to bring up now. “Uh…what’s your favorite color?”

“Favorite- geez, Nico, you really don’t know how to play games like these, do you? Well, I guess I can’t blame you. I’d have to go with…the color of the sunrise! It’s hard to describe, yeah, but it’s pretty great. One of the best things a person can see in their lives.” Seeming surprised at his answer, Nico could only nod. He wasn’t going to point out that a sunrise was made of multiple colors, and that was cheating Will. Instead he motioned for the other to go on with his turn.

“Alright, now, let’s see here…Who in the camp can you see most likely flirting with themselves in the mirror? Don’t say any of the Aphrodite kids, because that’s just plain cheatin’.” Oh. So, those were the kinds of questions the son of Apollo was gearing for. Figuring he shouldn’t be too surprised, Nico let himself smile the slightest, his lips quirking up at the corner.

“Percy, probably. He’d also try out pick-up lines, I bet. Practice asking Annabeth out on dates.” That idea seemed hilarious to the older demigod, because Will almost doubled over laughing. Surprised at the reaction from him, Nico’s lips twisted into a wide smile. He, too, let out a short laugh at the visual, finding himself…not choked up about the idea of Percy. Maybe his confession had helped him, a lot more than he’d thought to begin with.

“Oh gods, you’re probably right! What about Butch, though? Do you think he’d be the type?” Getting into the conversation, Nico could only scoff.

“Butch? I don’t think so. Percy’s got everyone beat out, I think.” Will looked thoughtful for a moment, nodding before settling back in his seat.

“Fair enough. Alright, sunshine, your turn!” Nico sat up, more alert with this new...nickname. It was better than the last thing Will called him, sure, but it was still questionable. Will didn’t seem to notice his reaction, instead inclining his head towards him. “C’mon, don’t be shy!”

Nico’s next three questions were cautious, not treading too far. Will didn’t seem so sympathetic, asking Nico one question after the other that made him think of some rather embarrassing things.

“Alright, uh…Most embarrassing part of a quest?”

“Well, I wasn’t really _on_ the quest, but…I got turned into a corn plant. It was terrible. Can you sing as well as some of the other Apollo kids, or would we have to sit through a rendition of a pop song in _ultrasonic dog whistles_?”

“Haha! Very funny, di Angelo. No, actually, I can’t. I guess dad got a little stingy. I can’t blame him; healing powers and my devastatingly good looks? He had to cut some slack for the other kids.” Not sounding conceited in the least bit, the son of Apollo tilted his head the slightest. “Hm…Last question, alright?” He waited for Nico’s nod, pleased to see the son of Hades seemed more at-ease with him.

“Right! Well, then…Do you have a crush on anyone?” The question was out of the blue. Nico almost wasn’t sure he heard him right, and when he realized that he _had_ , his cheeks heated up in a quick blush. He turned away almost immediately, and Will was scared for a moment. Would he tell him to leave immediately? He wouldn’t blame him. After a minute of awkward silence, Will stood up. He cleared his throat, about to announce that he was leaving and that he was an idiot for asking that, when the younger demigod spoke.

“…I’m not sure. I don’t know, I…I might.” Nico didn’t quite look at Will, but it was clear that was all the son of Hades would say. Will nodded, the slightest grin spreading on his face.

“Right! Well, uh, I think that’s probably going to be my cue to go. I’ll get someone to bring your dinner. Oh- I said that before, didn’t I? Heh, well, I’ll be seeing you later!” Words tumbling out awkwardly, the healer almost tripped over himself leaving the room. Nico didn’t hold in the snort, satisfied that no one would hear it.

Guessing that was as much attention as he’d be getting, Nico settled back in his bed, looking around his room for the next…two, three days? Will hadn’t been specific when the time would start, but Nico felt that Will would end up booting him out first chance. After all, taking care of him- Nico wasn’t even sure _why_ , since he was perfectly fine and it was only when he wasn’t thinking when he’d start to slip into the shadows- would just be another hassle that he was sure the son of Apollo didn’t need. 

While he was thinking, someone toed the curtain to his room aside. Piper strode in, unnoticed by the currently brooding son of Hades. In fact, she went unnoticed to the point that she had to clear her throat to catch Nico’s attention. He jumped, surprise on his face as a few words of Italian spilled out. Piper laughed, an impish smile on her face as she sat in the chair that was still pulled up next to Nico’s bed. She held out a plate of food, a section already offered to the gods, and waited patiently as Nico took it. He made a face for a moment before seemingly realizing that he hadn’t eaten all day, and he was _really hungry_. 

Piper watched, obviously relieved he was eating, and hummed a title song from some new movie. There was a comfortable silence between them as Nico ate. As soon as he finished, he set the plate on the nightstand and sat up more, facing her and raising an eyebrow.

“Let me guess. Annabeth mentioned what happened earlier?” Looking only a little embarrassed, Piper nodded. “Right. Look, I get that it was kind of a big thing, yeah, and I should have told you guys sooner, blah blah, but really, I-“ He was cut off by a swift hug from the daughter of Aphrodite. Freezing, his eyes wide, he was unsure of what to do. Admittedly, he still wasn’t used to this whole physical contact thing, but at least he didn’t have the urge to grab his sword and decapitate her.

“That’s not what I’m here about, Nico. I just wanted to tell you that we’re all really proud of you! Jason couldn’t stop laughing when he saw Percy’s face; you really left him kind of stunned, and I don’t think anyone’s been able to do that for a while.” Piper returned to her seat, obviously trying to hold back laughter at the idea of Percy being utterly surprised by something of that nature. Nico’s cheeks flushed, but he just shrugged in response.

“Yeah, well, it’s…I’m still not really believing I completely did that, you know?” His lips twitched into a hesitant smile, and he relaxed a bit more. Piper looked pleased he was talking more and almost smiling. 

“Well, duh. It’s not every day you can come out and tell an old crush you liked them. Especially if they’re a friend. That can make it especially tough.” Pausing for a moment, Piper clicked her tongue and glanced at the curtain where she’d entered. “I…also ran into Will when I came in here. He wanted me to tell you that there was ‘protective eyewear’ in the drawer next to you, and that you’re supposed to start your treatment…? Do you think you could do that on your own? Jason wanted to meet me for something…” Sounding more than a bit embarrassed, Piper’s cheeks flushed red. Nico just smiled a bit more, shaking his head as he reached into the drawer beside him to grab a pair of what looked to be sunglasses.

“Nah, go ahead. I can figure this out.” Nodding, the female demigod stood and offered her hand to Nico. He took it and shook, glancing up at her. “…What else is there?”

“Well- Jason wanted it to be a surprise, but, uh, he’s coming to visit you tomorrow. He…probably has a present for you, too. To make up for that shirt you have.” Wrinkling her nose, Piper gestured to his floral-print shirt that he still had from the quest. While the prospect of finding a much different shirt was nice, he’d been too busy the past few days to do anything about it. Looking relieved, Nico let out a long sigh.

“That’s good. I’ve been wanting to get out of this for a while. I’ll try to act surprised tomorrow. Thanks, Piper.” Piper nodded and took his plate, then was off. Nico sat there for a moment, almost looking forward to the next day. Company would be a good thing, especially since his ‘doctor’ was nowhere to be seen. Fumbling with the light switch, he let out a long groan. How was this even supposed to work? He had no idea what to do, and it was just his luck that Will had to go be busy with something else.

“Need help?” Nico jumped and almost punched Will in the face. Apparently, while he had been trying to get the machine to work, the son of Apollo had returned. Smiling as if he’d just stepped out for a little while, he stood with his hands in his pockets.

“Where in Hades’ name were you?” Fixing him with a cold glare, the younger demigod was disappointed that it didn’t seem to intimidate him. Will merely shook his head, shooing Nico down to lay back in the bed as he fiddled with the sun lamp’s adjustments.

“Like I said, I have a lot of work still to do around here. Plus, Coach Hedge still wants Mellie and the baby in here in case something happens. I can’t blame him, but I get so many noise complaints. I didn’t think baby satyr-wind spirits could scream or cry that much.” Nico was watching him warily, a slight frown crossing his face. Will saw and ‘tsk’ed, shaking his head and tapping the sunglasses in Nico’s hand. “Put them on, I’m about to turn this on. You should be able to fall asleep with it on, no big deal. It’s pretty late, and you should probably be sleeping. I should too, but knowing my luck I’ll be called back in here in half an hour, tops.” Will sighed, rubbing at his eyes. Nico had put the shades on by then, and gave a little cough. 

“-Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Uh, this should click off in about an hour. I’ll be by to check on it, and you’d better to asleep. Doctor’s orders. G’night, Nico.” Giving the son of Hades a small smile, Will reached up and clicked on the light.

Nico was pretty sure he was asleep before Will had even left his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this turned out a little longer than I planned. Whoops. I hope you guys enjoy it!


End file.
